TEHRAN— On the anniversary of International Quds Day, the spokesman for the Iranian government stated that the issue of holy Quds is not just Iran’s priority, rather it is the priority of Muslim Ummah, independent countries, and prominent intellectuals.

“The issue of Jerusalem and Holy Quds is not only a holy place but also a symbol of the sectarian occupation called Zionism against the great Islamic culture and religion,” the spokesman said. 

Rabiei noted that the occupying Israeli regime has always sought to remove this priority from the minds of the Islamic community, and in recent years has sought in a divisive way to promote Iran as a security problem by fomenting false strife.

“Whenever Iran raises in its rightful position towards a constructive interaction with the world, the Israeli regime seeks to disrupt; in its view, a path that runs counter to its oppressive interests,” he remarked.

The spokesman also pointed to Iran’s constructive interaction with the outside world, citing the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as a symbol of the Islamic Republic’s success that has been fiercely opposed by the Zionist regime of Israel since day on.

“In my opinion, the Zionists considered the JCPOA as a ‘diplomatic intifada’ against them and did their best to thwart it,” he said. 

He said that from the first day, Israel tried to provoke others to take steps to prevent the implementation of the nuclear deal.

The government spokesman called “the physical assassination of nuclear scientists” as examples of this enmity. 

Rabiei added that Iran will continue to pursue a policy of peace in the region with seriousness.

“This year, Iranians, not only with slogans but also with an analytical understanding, express their disgust with the enmity and hatred of the Zionist regime against the oppressed people of the region and against Iran,” he concluded.

SA/PM